Desalegn Chane, president of the new National Movement of Amhara (NAMA) party, confirmed police fired tear gas at protesters. Amhara is a northern region in Ethiopia and is home to Ethiopia's second largest ethnic group which bears the same name. Protesters were also demanding the release of prisoners due to appear in court over the violence, he said. It was not clear how many prisoners were due to appear in court or what the charges were. The witness said he didn't see police arresting or beating any protesters, a common occurrence under Abiy's predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn.

Source: Ethiopian News October 08, 2019 19:18 UTC